Σελίδες

Saturday, 22 August 2015

FYROM allows ‘limited number’ of migrants to cross border from Greece. (Assurances that the border will not be closed in the future)

FYROM***
on Friday allowed a limited number of "vulnerable" migrants to enter
the country a day after sealing its border with Greece and leaving
thousands of refugees stuck in no-man's land."A limited number
of illegal migrants in vulnerable categories are allowed to enter
FYROM*** and they may be provided with aid in accordance with the
state's capacities," the interior ministry said in a statement.

FYROM*** had declared a state of emergency on Thursday, effectively closing its southern border.

The
ministry did not elaborate on what it considered vulnerable categories,
but shortly after the announcement, FYROM*** police allowed in a few
hundred refugees, mostly families with children and pregnant women.

The
move, however, caused tensions among those prevented from crossing and
at least 1,000 migrants and refugees were seen pressing against FYROM***
police lines and could be heard screaming in pain.

According to Reuters, at least 10 people appeared to have fainted in the crush that ensued.

Earlier
in the day, FYROM*** riot police fired teargas to disperse migrants
pressing up against its border, prompting the United Nations to voice
concern over the situation and urging Skopje to treat the migrants with
respect.

Antonio
Guterres, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said he had spoken
with the FYROM*** foreign minister and “received assurances that the
border will not be closed in the future”.

The
agency also called on Greece to provide urgent assistance to “people
stranded on the Greek side of the border” and to help them move towards
refugee reception facilities further away.

Armed forces

Bulgaria,
meanwhile, announced that it was ready to dispatch its armed forces to
secure its southwestern borders with both Greece and FYROM*** against
any fresh influx of refugees.

"In relation to the complicated
situation in the neighbouring countries and the wave of refugees, the
ministry of defence will propose concrete measures to secure the state
border together with the interior ministry," a Bulgarian defence
ministry statement said.

More than 3,000 mostly Syrian refugees
are currently stuck in no-man's land near the Greek village of Edomeni
in a standoff with police and FYROM*** troops in a bid to stem the flow
of migrants attempting to cross into the Balkan nation.

In its
statement, the ministry also said that in the past 24 hours, police had
issued temporary transit documents to 181 migrants, mostly from Syria,
Bangladesh and Pakistan, wanting to cross the small Balkan country on
their way to northern Europe.

It added that before FYROM***
declared a state of emergency on its southern border, an average of
1,300 such documents had been issued a day, bringing the number of
migrants processed since mid-June to 41,000. (FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS) france24.com 21/8/15***[After the necessary corrections with the name "FYROM"]

***[GREECE recognized this country with the name "FYROM"] ***[UN resolution A/RES/47/225 of 8 April 1993]